Everything else is unnecessary; modern civilization is the best. With just a tap of a finger, one can know everything that is happening in the world. That’s why they say smartphones are the essence of modern civilization.
The moment Jong-sik resolved to escape from being a slacker…
He watched dozens of videos.
[Making 10 million won in 100 days by gathering herbs.]
[※Essential video for job seekers※ Preparation for interviews at major guilds.]
[Strategy guide for a Freelancer Hunter’s C-rank dungeon]
[Escaping from unemployment, essential preparation ‘Job Seeker Tutorial’]
[1 hour a day! By just doing this, you can earn 2 million won every month.]
Most of them were videos related to making money.
The job market seen in these videos was as fierce then as it is now.
But who is this Jong-sik?
In the modern era where the number of unemployed people exceeds a million, he was a man who started with nothing and even managed to buy a small house. He had no education, wasn’t very smart, but he did everything he could with his body.
And where else could he go?
Mercenary, herbalist, distributor, porter, etc.
Making money continued even on the Eldar Continent.
‘I seem to be a lifelong worker after all.’
Still, since he’s at a different starting point now, it should be much more comfortable. Jong-sik made his own plans while watching the videos.
That starting point,
He had to start from there for now.
***
5 hours later,
“Uncle, it’s dinner time!”
The small table was filled with a feast.
Kimchi stew, pickled vegetables, rolled omelette, seasoned dried seaweed, spicy squid salad, cucumber salad, grilled fish, and vegetable salad.
“The number of side dishes seems to increase as time goes by.”
Although a sumptuous feast lay before him, Jong-sik couldn’t help but feel uneasy.
He picked up his spoon but stopped himself.
“Yeona.”
“Yes?”
“I think you’ve made everything I wanted to eat by now. There’s no need to prepare so much food just because of me. You’re also standing in front of the stove, which must be hard.”
“Eek! I do it because I like to. Uncle, I really enjoy cooking. It’s not hard at all.”
Maybe it’s better to speak directly rather than beating around the bush. Jong-sik brought up the conversation he had in mind.
“Besides, it’s definitely going to cost more to live together than when it was just the two of us.”
“…What?”
Yeona blinked her eyes roundly, clearly surprised by his unexpected words.
“I only need a bowl of rice with kimchi. And please make the rice plain.”
Of course, it’s not like he’s going to keep eating like that forever. Just for a while. Really, just for a while.
Yeona looked at him with a surprised expression, as if wondering if he had heard the conversation outside the door. It wouldn’t be strange for the awakened uncle to have heard the conversation outside.
“Uncle, did you happen to hear the conversation earlier today? Is that why you’re saying this?”
“Well, somehow. He’s the landlord, right?”
“Yes. He’s a good person. He always takes care of us. But more importantly, Uncle! If you’re worried about living expenses after hearing that conversation, you’ve misunderstood.”
Yeona calmly continued.
“Of course, it’s true that the living expenses have become tight as Dad’s business trip has been extended longer than expected. But it’s not to the extent where we can’t even eat like this. Even if we prepare three meals like this, it’s barely ten thousand won.”
“Wait a minute. Even if you add all this up, it’s not even ten thousand won? Has the cost of living become that cheap between then and now?”
“The cost of living hasn’t gone down. People just started looking for high-quality ingredients, so the prices of regular ingredients have plummeted.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes. But things will get better once Dad returns. By then, I’ll make you some delicious Fire Boar Bossam (Korean Boiled Pork Wrap)! It’s incredibly tasty! So let’s just stick with this for a while.”
“No, I prefer it this way now. I actually like it better.”
Jong-sik couldn’t believe he was considering only kimchi and rice. Once again, his mouth watered at the thought. Besides, wasn’t Fire Boar Bossam the monster meat they had grown tired of? Jong-sik was genuinely satisfied with his current diet.
“So, are you going to eat now? Can I keep preparing meals like this?”
“Of course. Yeona, actually, Koreans live for rice.”
“Heh.”
Yeona burst into laughter at Jong-sik’s quick change of attitude. But her expression darkened again at his following words.
“Oh, and I’m going out tomorrow for a bit.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I’ve rested enough, so it’s time to start moving.”
“Do you really have to go out?”
“Yeah.”
“Well… staying home all the time must feel boring, right? Then make sure to take your phone with you! You always walk on busy streets, right? And if you happen to receive a gate warning text, avoid it immediately, and also…”
“Yeona, I think I’m going to bleed from my ears from all your nagging.”
“I’m not done yet. I heard there have been sightings of criminals with bounties in the neighborhood lately, so you absolutely shouldn’t go to the mountains or remote areas! And also…”
Honestly, it’s hard to tell who’s the child and who’s the adult here.
Thanks to that, dinner that evening was spent with rice either going down the throat or through the nose.
***
The next day,
After breakfast, Jong-sik headed straight out of the house.
His destination was the Incheon branch of the Korea Hunter Association.
According to the video, if someone with a status window doesn’t undergo an inspection, the Hunter Association will impose penalties. This includes matters like employment or dungeon access. In short, it’s a money-related issue.
That’s why Jong-sik had no choice but to head straight there.
“Wow, there are really a lot of people.”
The area in front of the Hunter Association building was crowded with people.
“My kid, be confident because your grade will be good! Stand tall! Hey, do you know that the reception is on the 2nd floor?”
“Sweetheart, what if someone asks, ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ What should I say?”
“I’m married with two kids.”
“Well done. If someone approaches you from the Matchmaker Guild, show them the couple ring. Got it? Now go and come back quickly. I’m not going anywhere, I’ll wait here.”
“Hey guys, don’t be nervous, just do what you learned in the academy.”
“Selling success candies here. Also have pills for mental stability. Oh? Yes, coming, sir!”
Parents seeing off their children, people waiting for their partners, teachers encouraging students, and peddlers selling goods—all reminiscent of the scenes outside the examination halls during the old college entrance exams.
Jong-sik pushed through the crowd towards the reception on the 2nd floor. He needed to fill out the Awakening Ability Test Survey first…
“Ah, let me just grab this for now.”
Once inside the 2nd floor, Jong-sik’s first task was to take a queue number. It would be a hassle to fill out the survey and then wait again, right?
Ding dong.
Then, with the queue number he grabbed it and then hastily stuffed into his pocket. After that, Jong-sik walked towards the central desk.
That’s what he came here to fill out.
[Name / Age / Guild Membership]
-Physical abilities indicated in the status window
-Number of skills indicated in the status window
-Grade of unique skills possessed
-Check the next section you will be taking the test for. (On the day of the test)
A rank, B rank, C rank, D rank, E rank, grade outside.
※ The inspection fee is the responsibility of the individual.
“Pretty straightforward.”
Jong-sik’s hand, holding the pen, began to move swiftly.
***
Ding dong.
“Number 231, prospective Awakened individual.”
It was Jong-sik’s number.
He approached the staff member with the questionnaire he had filled out.
“You can hand over the completed questionnaire.”
The staff member handling Jong-sik’s consultation had one arm missing. A sign was displayed on his desk:
[6/21 Consultation by former Hunter Kang Jaewon, who distinguished himself in the Han River Battle.]
“Hmm, so that’s why.”
With little thought, Jong-sik glanced at the sign. Seeing this, the staff member who took the questionnaire wore a bewildered expression and spoke up.
“Mr. Dok Jong-sik, is it? Did you fill out the questionnaire correctly?”
“Yes.”
At Jong-sik’s brief reply, Kang Jaewon couldn’t help but distort his expression for a moment. Well, one could hardly blame him.
“Strength 500, Stamina 500, Agility 500, Muscle Strength 500, Possessing 15 skills, most skills graded A or B. I’ll ask again. Did you fill it out correctly?”
The contents of the questionnaire were nothing short of a joke.
While senior colleagues had mentioned occasionally encountering individuals who pulled off such ridiculous stunts, Kang Jaewon never thought he would be dealing with one himself.
It was truly absurd. What was even more amusing was that, despite marking S-rank, Jong-sik had checked that he wouldn’t be taking the exam.
The reason behind such behavior was from a scumbag indeed.
“No. Is there a problem?”
On the other hand, Jong-sik replied casually.
Meanwhile, he couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Did I drop only half the pot? Should I have dropped more?’ But it was too late to cry over spilled milk.
Avoiding what seemed troublesome only to end up in a more troublesome situation. Ah, who knows.
Anyway, since I can’t see other people’s status windows, what can I do about it?
“It’s not really a problem; it’s just hard to understand. Someone with initial stats higher than S-rank Kang Taehoon didn’t take the test… It’s just…”
Jong-sik shrugged in response to the employee’s blatantly sarcastic remark.
“It’s free anyway. I know my own abilities. I wonder if it’s really necessary to spend money on this kind of thing. But do I have to spell it out for you?”
“…I suppose not.”
Bang.
With one hand clenched into a fist, Kang Jaewon spoke firmly.
“Well, then, as you requested, we’ll proceed with just the mana compatibility test. And remember, without testing everyone are treated as F Rank.”
Jong-sik nodded nonchalantly, and the employee, maintaining a stiff expression, retrieved a small pad from under the desk.
“Just place your hand over this pad, and inject the mana.”
Jong-sik promptly infused his mana into the machine. The test was straightforward, and the results came quickly.
Ding-!
Of course, there were no malfunctions or sudden failures with the pad.
Just a blue light turning on and an alarm indicating the end of the test.
[Your Awakening has been confirmed.]
“Can I leave now?”
“Just a moment. The Awakening certificate will be issued in three days. Would you like it sent to your home or would you prefer to pick it up in person?”
“Three days? I read online that it’s available for immediate pickup.”
“That’s only for those who registered for the test.”
Well, money talks.
Jong-sik responded somewhat disheartened to the employee’s matter-of-fact reply.
“Well, if that’s the rule, then there’s nothing to be done. Please send it to my home.”
“Sure. I’ll take care of it.”
“Well, thank you for your work.”
As Jong-sik started to get up, the employee unexpectedly spoke up.
“Awakening Applicant, Dok Jong-sik.”
“…?”
It wasn’t over yet.
Jong-sik looked at the employee with a puzzled expression as he got ready to leave his seat.
Unable to hold back any longer, the employee, Kang Jaewon, burst out with words. He didn’t care about overstepping boundaries at this point.
“Awakening Confirmation will be issued in three days. From then on, it would be wise not to play around. Well, you’ll understand once you experience it, but that world doesn’t tolerate such games. I’m speaking sincerely.”
It was quite a serious piece of advice. Employee Kang Jaewon hoped that the rookie Awakening candidate would take his words to heart.
“Well, you keep saying that. You can think as you please. Have a good day.”
But it was hard not to be taken aback by his unwavering attitude.
